Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Page 1

Daily

Herald

THE BROWN

vol. cxlviii, no. 99

since 1891

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

Kelly lecture spurs student, community backlash Seeking Protesters have objected to the NYPD commissioner’s vocal support of raciallycharged policing methods By MAXINE JOSELOW AND JILLIAN LANNEY SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

Controversy has flared among students and community members — with students putting forth a petition, holding a vigil Monday night and planning a protest march for this afternoon — over the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions’ decision to host a lecture today by Ray Kelly, commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Objection to Kelly stems from his promotion of the stop-and-frisk policy, which some claim uses racial profiling. The policy, in which NYPD officers stop

and pat down pedestrians suspected of criminal activity, disproportionately targets blacks and Hispanics, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union. In August, a U.S. District Court judge determined the practice violated the constitutional rights of the city’s minorities, a decision the city is expected to appeal. In response to the lecture, some hung up other posters around campus depicting Kelly alongside the Ku Klux Klan or swastikas — an action organizers said was unaffiliated with their official protest. Several students and Marshall Einhorn, the director of Brown RISD Hillel, criticized the posters, calling them inappropriate and insensitive. Students drafted a petition Thursday and held the vigil Monday to protest the center’s selection of Kelly to deliver its Noah Krieger ’93 Memorial Lecture. Students also said they plan to march in » See KELLY, page 4

influence, students form activist group The group’s actions could include a walkout in response to controversial University decisions By MOLLY SCHULSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ALEXANDRA URBAN / HERALD

About 60 students convened at a gathering Monday evening in honor of victims of racial profiling and to protest Kelly’s talk.

Substance found in Grad Center believed harmless Medical evaluations indicated those exposed to the substance suffered no serious health issues By EMILY BONEY CITY & STATE STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF CAREY WEISS

Michael Dawkins ’13.5, an accomplished musician, played at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

After the discovery of an unidentified material initially believed to be hazardous in Graduate Center last Thursday, officials from the University and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the building is safe, and the eight people who were evaluated by medical professionals are not seriously ill. No hazardous materials were detected in the substance following a “preliminary analysis” conducted

by the Rhode Island Department of Health, wrote Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, in an email to The Herald. “There is no known threat to the public,” said Special Agent Greg Comcowich, a spokesman for the FBI in Boston. But he said details about the incident are not available due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. “It’s our policy not to reveal the type or nature of the substance,” he said. Two staff members reported “watery eyes and a chemical taste in the throat and mouth area” after an envelope was opened in the office Thursday afternoon, according to a University » See SUBSTANCE, page 5

Following the University’s announcement that it will not divest from major coal companies,around 100 students gathered Sunday and Monday nights in the Underground in response to what they called the University’s unwillingness to listen to student voices. The student organizers refused to elaborate on their specific goals to The Herald and did not allow reporters inside their meetings. The meeting spawned from a Facebook status by Jenny Li ’14 inviting other students to join her in the Underground to discuss the University’s decision not to divest from coal, Sophie Soloway ’14.5 wrote in an email to The Herald. Several people shared the status and others sent email and texting chains to spread word around campus, Soloway added. The announcement about coal divestment “seemed like a catalyst that precipitated pre-existing feelings about other times the Corporation and administration has not been accountable to student needs,” Soloway wrote. Representatives from student groups including Brown Divest Coal, Support for Survivors of Sexual Assault, Students for Justice in Palestine and Student Labor Alliance attended » See VOICES, page 2

Details of undergrad’s death remain unknown Poll: Most report no opinion on UCS The University is working By SONA MKRTTCHIAN AND ADAM TOOBIN CITY & STATE EDITORS

inside

Five days after Michael Dawkins ’13.5 was confirmed to have died in Peru, few details have emerged about the circumstances of his death. Dawkins was not “taking part of any Brown-sponsored activity” while in Peru, and the University does not have any information about his travels, wrote Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, in an email to The Herald. “The University was notified of

Despite UCS efforts to increase visibility and student involvement, polling detected apathy By SOPHIE YAN STAFF WRITER

A majority of students — 56 percent ­— have no opinion on how the Undergraduate Council of Students is handling its job, according to a Herald poll conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 1. Students who did have an opinion tended to approve of the Council’s job performance, with 23 percent of poll respondents somewhat approving of UCS and 7 percent expressing strong approval. The Council’s approval rating — 30 percent — fell from 38 percent in fall 2011, the last time The Herald

polled undergraduates on the question. Six percent of students said they somewhat disapproved of UCS’ job performance, while 2 percent strongly disapproved. Six percent of poll respondents indicated they did not know what the organization UCS was. The poll results showed a correlation between students’ opinions of UCS and of administrative initiatives. Students who had no opinion of UCS’ job performance also tended to have no opinion of President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan, released last month and approved by the Corporation this weekend. UCS leaders said they have actively engaged with students this year to increase awareness of the body’s work. The Council conducted its own survey of undergraduates this month. The Herald poll, which was taken one week

Empty chamber

Fin-tastic feat

Stop the talk

Commission proposes divesting from gun manufacturers

R.I. strives to protect ocean life and manage its use of ocean resources

Guest columnists critique the Taubman Center’s choice to give Ray Kelly a platform

CITY & STATE, 3

CITY & STATE, 5

COMMENTARY, 7

weather

with Dawkins’ ’13.5 family to plan a memorial service for next month

the death of Michael Dawkins by members of his family,” Quinn wrote. It could take weeks or even months for Peruvian authorities to confirm any details, said Erika Dawkins, Michael’s older sister. Students and faculty members gathered in the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life Friday to commemorate Dawkins’ life with personal stories and recollections. The office is currently collaborating with Dawkins’ family to organize a service in his memory on campus in November, wrote Janet Cooper Nelson, University chaplain, in an email to The Herald. Dawkins, a talented pianist, grew up in Baton Rouge, La., but spent time in the Northeast during high school working on his music and participating in the Pelham Music » See DAWKINS, page 3

prior to a UCS poll, “was conducted before we made that big push to get students involved,” said UCS President Todd Harris ’14.5. Some students said they don’t know much about UCS’ current work but expressed mild approval of the body. Harjasleen Malvai ’17 said she is somewhat aware of what UCS does but added that the difference between UCS and the Class Coordinating Boards ­— which organize class year-specific activities — ­ is sometimes confusing. UCS could also do a better job raising awareness about its work, Malvai said. But Malvai added that UCS’ failure to extensively promote its work could indicate the body is focused on the details of student governance. Perhaps “that means they’re actually doing their » See UCS, page 2 t o d ay

tomorrow

51 / 35

55 / 35


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 by The Brown Daily Herald - Issuu